And they did not vote in enough numbers to produce that anticipated Democratic “blue wave” in Arizona and across the nation that would have stopped Trump in his tracks.

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Gubernatorial candidate David Garcia shared his thoughts on Latino and minority representation in government during his visit to the azcentral newsroom on Sept. 27, 2018.
William Flannigan, azcentral

Sure, Democrats took the U.S. House. And Latino candidates eked out some wins, particularly in Texas, where incumbent Ted Cruz retained his seat and Latinas Veronica Escobar and Sylvia Garcia were elected.

Wishful thinking get us nowhere

At first glance, those percentages look positive. But they tell us nothing – zero, zilch – about whether more Latinos cast a ballot on Tuesday, and more importantly, whether those votes made any difference.

As of Wednesday morning, Sinema was trailing McSally in a race that's still too close to call.

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Actress Eva Longoria spoke about the importance of Latinos voting and finding common ground with fellow Americans.
USA TODAY

We need to better manage our expectations. Most everyone talked about a huge Latino surge leading up to the midterms.

But that “surge” always seems to evaporate on election day because we’re dealing with imprecise numbers – merely estimates – and mostly wishful thinking for a greater an impact.

It may turn out to be true that Latinos made a difference in some key races across the nation. But for now, it looks like the “sleeping giant” – as Latino voters are often referred – snored through the 2018 midterm election.

Latinos are not that powerful (yet)

I get that Latinos want to laser-focus on victories, however small. I question, though, the effectiveness of that messaging. It gives the false impression that Hispanics are a real, powerful voting bloc.

Sadly, it isn't real until Latinos vote in great enough numbers to make a real, noticeable dent. Election wizards will keep combing through the numbers, and that’s a good thing if it helps develop strategies to reach more voters in the 2020 presidential election.

But it doesn’t excuse Latinos' overall lackluster showing.

It's infuriating and discouraging to know that Latinos had every reason to vote, yet overall they stayed home despite Trump’s incessant racial attacks.